Career Connection Center

 he Career & Internship Fair is on October 4, 2017. All students and all majors are encouraged to attend. Career fairs offer an opportunity for first year and sophomore students to learn about different career pathways while juniors, seniors, graduate students, and alumni can connect directly about internships and full-time opportunities. A career fair is a great job search resource because it offers the opportunity to talk directly with employers.  Employers attend Texas Woman’s University career fairs specifically to acquaint students like you with their companies and the types of careers available.

Make the most of a career fair by following these tips:

Before the fair

· Study the list of participating organizations before the event to identify the employers you most want to contact.  This will give you extra time to research their organizations and find out more information about available positions.  When you arrive at the fair, you’ll have an immediate sense of purpose in seeking out these employers. You can find the list on TWU Connect under “Career Fairs.”

 emember, first impressions count.  You want to be taken seriously as a potential candidate for career opportunities, so you should dress as if you were ready to go to work in the organization.  Business professional or business casual attire is acceptable in most cases.  Stop by the Career Connections Center for details on the Pioneer Suit-Up program with JCPenney. Remember, there will be a professional photographer available at the career fair offering FREE LinkedIn headshots!

· Take copies of your updated resume to leave with company representatives.  Beat the rush and have your resume reviewed during Resume Drop-In hours at the Career Connections Center well before the event. Not all organizations accept resumes at career fairs, so don’t be put off. Simply inquire how to apply and ensure the representative that you will follow their instructions.

During the Fair

· At the career fair, you should approach all recruiters representing companies of interest to you.  Talk with as many representatives as possible!  If you are not familiar with the organization, ask questions! These employers are attending this event in order to talk with you about available careers.  (Pet peeve of recruiters – walking up to their table and asking, “What does your company do?” Take time to know what industries the company represents.)

· Broaden your focus and include many types of employers.  For instance, you may not have considered working in a hospital, but hospitals recruit professionals for many different fields (management, information systems, human services, administrative, accounting, etc.).

· Strike up a conversation to introduce yourself and to let the recruiter know your qualifications and interests.  For example, “Hello, my name is Jane Smith, and I am a senior majoring in Math.  Does your company hire for positions in Statistics or Operations Research?” Once you know what to say when approaching recruiters, you’ll feel more comfortable.

· When you leave the recruiter’s table, ask what the next step in the process is.

· Collect literature, including the recruiter’s business card, for follow-up discussions or later correspondence purposes.

After the fair

· Follow up with a short note of thanks to the recruiters who are employed with the organizations that remain of interest to you after the career fair.  Students often ask how they can “stand out” above the crowd at events such as this.  Sending a follow-up letter / email within 2-3 days of the fair is one way of doing just that.  Need a sample? Stop by the Career Connections Center.